My Life's Footprints:: Rhoda Peace Tumusiime's Autobiography

By H.E. Sirleaf Johnson

The story of Rhoda Peace Tumusiime is an inspirational and captivating journey of a girl who grew up in a remote village in Uganda and a family with marginal resources but also in a society where girls were married off at a tender age.

The reader is able to walk with her right from her birthplace through her school life until she makes her way to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa a Pan African institution the African Union where she is now holding an elective position of Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture.

Hers is a story that proves that irrespective of ones background and station in life, with the least of resources and support, if one has the hope, courage and determination to succeed, the sky is the limit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Jan 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499086744

H.E. Sirleaf Johnson

Rhoda Tumusiime is the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission (2008-2016). Since joining the African Union Commission, she has effectively steered the Agriculture and Rural Development portfolio and effectively elevated the prioritisation of Agriculture in Africa. She has also received international recognition and been nominated to sit on high-level advisory committees and boards of several regional and international research and development institutions. She holds a Master’s Degree in Economics majoring in Planning and Managing Rural Development at University of Manchester, UK, a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics with Rural Economy at Makerere University. She and her late husband Mr. Edward Tumusiime have six adult children with over nine grandchildren.

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Foreword by: H.E. Sirleaf Johnson, the President of Liberia

Memoirs: The Autobiography of Rhoda Peace Tumusiime,

Copyright © 2014 by Rhoda Peace Tumusiime. PID 611943

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014910098

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4990-8673-7

                Hardcover     978-1-4990-8672-0

                Ebook            978-1-4990-8674-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Rev. date: 01/12/2015

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Dedication

I dedicate this book to several amazing people who have impacted my life in different ways.

First and foremost to my late mother Turufina whose love and care shaped me into what I am today.

Secondly to my late father Erinesti who ensured that I attain an education despite the odds against girl child education at the time.

Thirdly to my late husband Edward, we lived and shared our love for 34 years. We met yet young but also married at an early age.

To my loving children Carol, Edwin, Martin, Eunice, Colin, Cavin and my innumerable children who have passed through my hands and my nine grand children and counting.

Last but not least, to my brothers, sisters, in-laws, and numerous friends, I appreciate your continued support and close relationship.

Acknowledgment

Writing a book appears to be an individual project, but the reality is that it takes an entire team. I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who saw me through this book; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, offered comments, and allowed me to share their stories.

Special thanks to those who assisted in the editing, proofreading and design: Elizabeth Kayogonya; Andrew Kalanzi; Eunice Adubango; Keturah Kamugasa; Kiiza Kimbugwe and Josepha Jabo.

I would like to thank my family who supported and encouraged me to write the book. My story is their story too.

I would like to thank my daughter Eunice Musiime- Kataaha for encouraging me to put my story on paper and supporting me throughout the entire process.

Thanks to Xliblis my publisher who encouraged me - without you this book would never find its way to the Web and to so many people’s homes.

Finally, I am deeply grateful to the almighty God for thus far he has brought me.

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Table of Contents

Preface: Above the Atlantic…

The Seventh Child

The Bweranyangi Experience

It Takes a Whole Village to Raise a Child

The Parish Chief’s Marriage Proposal

School Holidays

A Marriage Proposal

Mbarara

The Amin Regime

Promoting Gender

Life in Manchester

Posted to the Ministry of Agriculture

My Short Stint at Politics

Losing Edward

At the African Union

Concluding Thoughts

Preface: Above the Atlantic…

On June 16, 2008, I took up a new elective position of Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission (AUC) at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Commission is the executive arm of the African Union and champions the translation of African Union (AU) objectives into action. The African Union grew out of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The choice of seat for the headquarters of the OAU was reached during the time of the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in 1963. The OAU, was established May 1963 with Pan African principles. At that time, several countries were still under occupation and the OAU’s main objectives included ensuring that Africa was totally liberated, in addition to working towards, a politically-integrated continent (with common economic institutions) to drive the development process forward. The liberation drive can be seen in the words of leaders at the inaugural ceremony of OAU in 1963. Julius Nyerere, the former President of Tanzania (1961-1985) said: We are all agreed that the time for palaver has come to an end, that it is time to take action; that the time when our brothers fought alone has come to an end and that from now on, independent Africa must help its brothers in countries that have not yet achieved their independence. On September 9, 1999, African leaders discussed the possibility of changing the OAU to AU a change which was formalised on 9 July 2002, this time round with a strong emphasis on transformation and integration using communities and member states as building blocs with the involvement of civil society organizations. With the inclusion civil society organization, the people focused, and people centred objective was and still is relevant. The drive of Africa towards transformation and renaissance has been stressed by leaders, for example, late Meles Zenawi Prime Minister of Ethiopia (2012) said, The African Renaissance has begun and it is within our means to keep it going. It is within our means to create a new pole of global growth pole in Africa, to fully stabilize our continent and to make sure that it takes its rightful place in global scheme of things. So the change of name from OAU to AU was to ensure that Africa is driven on a development path leading to a peaceful and prosperous continent in addition to the political aspirations.

The African Union Commission is a replica of the European Union (EU) Commission, which is also the executive arm of the European Union. The AUC has ten elective positions. The chairperson, of the commission is the equivalent of the EU Commission President. Then there is the deputy and eight elected commissioners, one of which is mine, the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, which is equivalent to a cabinet position at country level. Where positions of the two Commissions differ is on gender. While the AUC has, as its cardinal principal the 50-50% of Union elected officials, the EC does not consider gender balance as all its Commissioners are nominated by their governments to represent their countries and can be gender blind.

The position I hold at the African Union Commission has a broad mandate and requires me to interface within and beyond Africa, and has thus enabled me to know Africa and the rest of the world better. It covers most of the rural focused sectors including agriculture, fisheries and livestock, environment and climate change, water, lands, in addition to general issues of disaster and risk management and desertification. In pursuit of fostering a strong working relationship and implementation of sectoral policy related activities, I have to be part of intra-Africa and global engagements to place Africa’s case at the centre. It becomes imperative that travelling within Africa, and around the globe, is inevitable.

As I start putting together this piece of writing, I am on my way to Rio de Janerio, Brazil. In terms of environment and sustainable development, Rio stands out as it was the venue where, twenty years back, world leaders converged to seriously focus on the need to preserve mother earth for generations to come. It was in this city where a global compact known as the ‘Earth’s Summit’ was reached. In the run up to this meeting codenamed ‘Rio + 20’, the AUC under my office coordinated AU member states in the preparation of an African Common position to be presented at this global fora. The content included issues related to climate change and adaptation. The fact that Africa still has fragile economies and its agriculture is more rainfed than any other region requires that more attention is paid to sustainable use of environment. This important meeting stands out for me and for African Union. It was here where the